Hi all, I am learning latin for two years by my own, but I found myself on a point, where it is still too uneffective for me just read the old texts with not understanding even not the every second word and looking to the dictionary for the whole time, and yet i cannot find a succesful wordlist in any latin book, nor on the Internet. (succesful means the one, I do not know more than half of the words of, and it would be perfect, if there were macrons above long vowels, and also a morphological types marked by suffix, -es, as is common practise.) I know I am pretty demanding, but if you can write latin so good as I can see here, you had to overcome this point. I would like to ask you then what was your modus in mastering latin vocabulary ? Thank you much...

In 1939 Paul Diederich wrote his doctoral thesis ( http://users.erols.com/whitaker/freq.htm ) on latin word frequency. He found that there were basically 1400 latin vocabulary words that would allow you to know the meaning of 85% of the latin words you will encounter in classical texts:

We therefore predict that this basic vocabulary will enable the reader to recognize directly about 85 per cent (in round numbers) of all the words he will ever read In Latin literature and to deduce the meaning of about 10 per cent more as derivatives or compounds of known words, or as obvious roots of known English derivatives. The line was drawn at this point because the group of words next highest in frequency would enable the reader to recognize directly only an additional 7 per cent of the vocabulary of Latin literature after learning about 1,000 additional words. Of the 1,471 words in the basic vocabulary, about 400 are so closely related in form and meaning to English derivatives and cognates that, in the experience of the writer, they can either be guessed or learned very easily by the average beginning class in secondary schools. This reduces the burden of memorizing the basic vocabulary to about 1,000 words, which should be learned by secondary school pupils in two years, or in one year by the mature reader In college or in later life. It is hoped that these words will be embodied in easy reading materials, or selected for special emphasis from present reading materials, and learned as they occur in reading.

1. Verbs Which Express or Affect the Location of the Subject 2. Verbs Which Affect the Location of the Object 3. Verbs Which Express or Affect the State of the Subject 4. Verbs Which Affect the State of the Object 5. Constructive Activities 6. Destructive Activities 7. Verbs Affecting Other Verbs 8. Vocal Activities 9. Mental and Sensory Operations 10. Favor 11. Disfavor

Dr Dedrichs Latin via frequency is your one stop shop really, you should be able to recognise about 80% of words from that. However it is a bit extreme for first recourse, no? Unless you're really dedicated.

I personally would suggest something like the beginners vocab on this site or something, the one with 700 words or so, once you have those start to learn how words work: adding suffixes to compound verbs, forming abstract and agentive nouns etc and start reading. If after a while it's still really laborious just use our good doctor.

thesaurus wrote:I know it's the wrong forum, but is there a comparable list or study for Greek?

I would love to know the answer to that question as well. There is a book on Amazon that claims to have "1500 words in common use among classical Greek historians, orators and philosophers" and they seem to be organized in a somewhat similar way to the latin list, but I have no idea if it is any good or not (plus it's a book you have to buy -- not nearly as good as a list you have on the internet and which you can play with all you want):

I have a Greek exam tomorrow (poetry, prose and random unseen, though it will probably be Thucydides again lol) and I would absolutely love there to have been such a tool, however in two years of searching I haven't found one.

There is a set of flashcards on Ankii, but that's biblical Greek...

Over summer I may utilise the Perseus tools and create my own database.

edonnelly wrote:In 1939 Paul Diederich ... found that there were basically 1400 latin vocabulary words that would allow you to know the meaning of 85% of the latin words you will encounter in classical texts.

For the heck of it I made a little Windows Mobile Phone app that will quiz you on these 1400, grouped using Dr. Diederich's categories. It's pretty Spartan, but if anyone has a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone (probably needs to be VGA with a touch screen to work) and wants it, let me know. It definitely will not work on non-windows phones and I haven't the slightest idea how to make one for anything else.